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Source Description
This triptych (a composition of three prints) shows actors portraying three of the four famed protectors of imperial regent Minamoto Yorimitsu (948?–1021). Collectively, they are known as his Shitennō (四天王), or “Four Heavenly Kings,” after the Buddhist deities who guard the four cardinal directions. The characters are indicated by the large house crests on their robes. The actor Onoe Matsusuke I’s identity is revealed by a fan with the ideograph <em>matsu </em>(松), or “pine,” tucked into his robe, just against his breastplate.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
103239
label
Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Urabe Suetake, Onoe Matsusuke I as Usui Sadamitsu, and Nakamura Nakazo I as Watanabe no Tsuna in “The Four Heavenly Kings Costumed as the Night Watch”
core
obj
dtoType
print
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
103239
contentType
print
title
Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Urabe Suetake, Onoe Matsusuke I as Usui Sadamitsu, and Nakamura Nakazo I as Watanabe no Tsuna in “The Four Heavenly Kings Costumed as the Night Watch”
description
This triptych (a composition of three prints) shows actors portraying three of the four famed protectors of imperial regent Minamoto Yorimitsu (948?–1021). Collectively, they are known as his Shitennō (四天王), or “Four Heavenly Kings,” after the Buddhist deities who guard the four cardinal directions. The characters are indicated by the large house crests on their robes. The actor Onoe Matsusuke I’s identity is revealed by a fan with the ideograph <em>matsu </em>(松), or “pine,” tucked into his robe, just against his breastplate.
date
1781
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79505770
creators
35348
genreSpecific
Print
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 31 x 14.5 cm (12 3/16 x 5 11/16 in.)
cul
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
accession
1921.314
Source extras
tec
triptych of color woodblock prints
tombstone
Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Urabe Suetake, Onoe Matsusuke I as Usui Sadamitsu, and Nakamura Nakazo I as Watanabe no Tsuna in “The Four Heavenly Kings Costumed as the Night Watch” (四天王宿直着綿 二代目市川門之助の卜部季末武、初代尾上松助の碓井貞光、初代中村仲蔵の渡辺綱), 1781. Katsukawa Shunzan (Japanese, active c. 1782–98). Triptych of color woodblock prints; overall: 31 x 14.5 cm (12 3/16 x 5 11/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift from J. H. Wade, 1921.314
titleInOriginalLanguage
四天王宿直着綿 二代目市川門之助の卜部季末武、初代尾上松助の碓井貞光、初代中村仲蔵の渡辺綱
collection
Japanese Art
creditline
Gift from J. H. Wade
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:34:30.123000
sourceId
103239
dept
Japanese Art
coll
Japanese Art
med
triptych of color woodblock prints
creatorTags
male
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
614400ade7bc5b4c